Xbox One smashes sales records on first day in stores

Xbox One, the freshly re-designed game console from Microsoft, has sold more than 1 million units in the first 24 hours of being on sale.

Last Friday the American rival of Sony's PlayStation 4 was out in the shops in the UK and 13 more countries, and it sold out almost immediately.

Within 24 hours of the Xbox One being in stores, the producing company released a note that declared its games console is 'now sold out at most retailers' and that it was working very hard to replenish stock as fast as possible to meet the unprecedented demand from its customers.

“We are humbled and grateful for the excitement of Xbox fans around the world” Microsoft's release read,"Seeing thousands of excited fans lined up to get their Xbox One and their love for gaming was truly a special moment for everyone on the Xbox team.”

The Xbox One is the third version of Microsoft's best-selling console since 2005, and the first to appear with a new design and a re-worked Kinect motion control system. It also features exclusive titles and a wide choice of multimedia offering. Because of these characteristic, Xbox One appears to be ahead of the games for next Christmas shopping spree.

PlayStation 4 also sold 1m units in its first day of going on sale in canada and the US last Friday 15 November. However, Microsoft's Xbox One may be drawing more gamers thanks to exclusive titles like Forza Motorsport 5,and a live action TV series directed by Steven Spielberg and based on the Halo game.

Both Microsoft's Xbox One and its head-to-head rival Playstation 4 will be carrying games produced by British developers, including fastest-selling title Grand Theft Auto V, created by Scottish firm Rockstar North.